In-N-Out Burger became a fast-food legend for its simple, yet just big enough menu. Of course, the burgers aren’t half-bad either. But what if a place were to take that simplicity, but kick things up a notch in ingredient quality? That’s where Little Big Burger in Portland comes in. Simple menu (6 items including drinks and no secret menu to speak of). Good prices ($3.75 for a cheeseburger). And hopefully delicious food.

Hauntingly beautiful.

I visited the location in the Pearl District and ordered a cheeseburger without Portlandish (or is it Portlandic?) organic veggies and a side of their white truffle fries. I quickly learned that this was no In-N-Out because after a solid 15 minutes of waiting, my brown paper bag of burger and fries was finally ready.

A little burger with enough pink.

Where Little Big Burger lacked speed, they rapidly made up for in being incredibly delicious. For starters, the fries were bar none some of the best I’ve ever had. The had just the right amount of truffle, the right amount of salt and the right amount of crispiness. And then there was the burger itself. Matching the name of the restaurant, the 1/4 pound cascade beef (all natural as you would expect in Portland) burger looked small in its brioche bun, but was cooked to a near-medium-rare and packed with big flavor.

There’s honestly little else that can be said. The little burger and fries left a big impression on me and should be on any burger lover’s list to eat in Portland.